ISO 45001 vs BS OHSAS 18001 – What has changed?

According to HSE in 2019/2020, there were 111 fatal injuries reported by employers in the UK. The most recent figures for non-fatal injuries at work was 69,208 in 2018/2019. Besides the inestimable cost to those employees and the families who have suffered, the estimated cost of injuries and ill health to employers due to poor working conditions in the UK in 2018 was £15 billion.

Just let those staggering facts sink in for a few seconds…

It is no wonder that BS OHSAS 18001 necessitated some revision and it was under these circumstances that the new ISO 45001 was born. The aim of this blog is to clarify what ISO 45001 aims to achieve, what key changes have been made to improve on BS OHSAS 18001 and whether you can smoothly transition to the new standard.

What is the ISO 45001 certification?

ISO 45001 is the world’s first international occupational health and safety standard. The safety standard follows on from the BS OHSAS 18001 and was released on the 30th of September 2021.

In a nutshell, ISO 45001 aims to enable organisations to standardise their health and safety regulations to reduce work-related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities by proactively improving Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) performance. The much anticipated new standard was developed by world standards writers from over 70 countries. David Smith, Chair of project committee ISO/PC 283, hopes that ISO 45001 will, “lead to major transformation in workplace practices.”

So, what exactly has changed?

Before we list the primary differences between ISO 45001 and BS OHSAS 18001, it is important to note the intention of both standards remains aligned – to create a management framework to help the prevention of employee illnesses and fatalities. But, in the last 18 years (since BS OHSAS 18001 was released) it goes without saying that a lot has changed, both within businesses, technology and in the improvement of international standards as a whole.

What are the differences between ISO 45001 and BS OHSAS 18001?

1. Structural alignment

It makes perfect sense that, like its fellow ISO standards (ISO 9001, ISO 14001), ISO 45001 follows the same structure, based on ISO Guide 83, commonly known as Annex SL. Fundamentally, Annex SL aims to harmonise the process by which management systems are communicated and implemented.

In most cases, this will be structured as follows:

1. Scope
2. Normative references
3. Text and definitions
4. Context of the organisation
5. Leadership
6. Planning
7. Support
8. Operation
9. Performance evaluation
10. Improvement

The outcome of this particular change will improve consistency and efficiency by incorporating health and safety standards into the overall management system of your business.

Have more questions about ISO 45001? Here’s everything you need to know

2. Managerial ownership

Clause 5 of ISO 45001 states that your business must demonstrate “leadership and commitment,” and, “outline roles, responsibilities and authorities for the Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) management system.”

The shift of responsibility and ownership from (sometimes external) safety management personnel to top level management is designed so that OH&S will be taken more seriously and a positive OH&S culture will spread more effectively throughout the business.

3. Employee education

Although the top management team plays a greater leadership role than BS OHSAS 18001, ISO 45001 also outlines that all employees are responsible for safety. This means that all employees will need to be educated to help identify risks in the workplace.

Employees will also need to have access to internal audits, risk assessments and incident investigations which they, themselves, should actively participate in.

4. Proactive risk assessment

Unlike BS OHSAS 18001, which requires “hazard control”, ISO 45001 follows a preventative approach requiring “hazard identification”. Hazards are defined as a “source or situation with a potential to cause injury and ill health,” and will need to include routine and non-routine activities.

Can you transition from BS OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001?

There is no doubt that if your business is currently BS OHSAS 18001 certified, you will have a significant head start. ISO have stated that the transition period is 3 years so the old standard will still be recognised until September 2021. Simply put, you can migrate from BS OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001 but you need to act quickly.

The first step is to do some further research on ISO 45001 and take the opportunity to review your OH&S processes to assess what you need to do to become certified.